Water-cooled slab mold



oct. 7', 1947.

E. c. FALK ErAL Filed Feb.

15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nn /m/ um? Robert 6. Joorrs r A 1 TOR NE Ys Oct. 7, 1947.

Filed Feb. 15, 1944 E. c, FALK Erm.

WATER-COOLED SLAB MOLD 2 sheets-sheet 2 l av Gmxwbpmmgmf;

ATTORNE Ys Patented Oct. 7, 1947 UNITED s'rA'rEs PATENT' OFFICE g zazasss .waren-cocina sms Mom Ernest C. Falk and Robert 8. Storrs, Torrington, Conn., signora to The American -Brass Company, a corporation of Connecticut Application February 15, 1944, Serial No. 522.460

7 Claims. (Cl. 22-144) l This invention relates to water-cooled or chill slab molds, and more particularly to molds ot the type described in Junker U. S. Patent No.

1,615,086. Molds of this type are extensively used culating water or other suitable cooling medium flowing through appropriately provided compartments.

'I'he aim of our present invention is to provide a cooled slab mold 'oi' improved construction, and more particularly to provide an improved construction for attaching the copper plates or mold faces to their respective supporting frames, and also for attaching the mold sides to the mold back whereby the plates and sides may expand and contract during the casting cycle without setting up undue stresses.

The novel features oi the invention will be best understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. in which Fig. l is a transverse section of the improved mold of the invention,

Fig. 21s a iront elevation oi'th'e mold back (section 2 2 oi' F18. 1).

Fig. 3 is a front elevation ol.' the mold back with the mold sides and mold bottom removedisection 3 3 oi' Fig. 1),

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation oi' the mold on the section line 4 4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail on the right end of the transverse sectionof Fis. 1, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail of the top bolted connection ot. the copper plate to its supporting frame. y 1

The mold comprises a stationary mold member A (mold back) and a complementary mold member B (mold front) pivotally connected together -by links Ill and pins I so that the member B can be swung to and iro to close and open the mold. Thus, the mold iront is pivotally mounted at one 2 pivoted to each end oi' each yoke. The outer or free end oi' each link I4 has a head I5 adapted to operatively engage slotted lugs I8 on the sides of the stationary mold member A. When the mold is closed and the heads l5 operatively engage their respective slotted lugs I6, the mold members A and B are clamped or locked together by turning the bolts I1, screw-threaded in central bosses I8 oi each yoke and pressing against aligning seats I9 on the outer lace of the mold member B. i

The stationary mold member A comprises a rectangular cast metal (e. g. iron) frame and a rolled copper plate or mold face 2| appropriately secured thereto. The frame 20 is recessed or hollow to provide with .the plate 2| a cooling compartment 22. The movable mold member B similarly comprises a rectangular cast metal frame side oi' the mold back. Transverse spaced yokes A l2 are mounted in brackets Il on the outer face of the movable mold member B. A link |4 is 23, a rolled copper plate or mold face 24 and cooling compartment 25. Enclosed conduits or standpipes 26 and 2l for the discharge of cooling medium are positioned within the compartments 22 and 25, and extend from the bottom to near the top of the vrespective compartments. Cooling medium is admitted to the bottom oi' the compartments 22 and 25 through inlet pipes 28 and 29 respectively, and is withdrawn from the top of the compartments through the conduits 26 and 21. The frames 20 and 23 may be, and preferably are, provided with the longitudinal and transverse ribbing described and claimed in our I copending application for Letters Patent Ser. No.

522,459 iiled February 15,1944. 4

In cooled slab molds of Ithe heretofore customary construction, the copper plate (2| and 24) is attached to its mating frame (20 and 23) by a series of round head bolts tted in counterbored holes in the plate and registering drilled holes in the frame. The copper plates expand and contract during a casting cycle whereas the mat-- ing frames are little, if at all, aiected. This expansion and contraction of 4the copper plates causes stresses at the bolt holes which eventually fracture the plates making it necessary to discard them.

Our present invention overcomes the aforel mentioned diillculty by eliminating all bolt holes at each side of each copper plate. Thus, in accordance with the invention, the copper plateis attached to. its mating frame by clamp bars permitting expansion'and contraction oi' the plate. The construction will be best understood byl rei'- erence to Fig. 5 of the drawings. Each longituainsi side'or the copper plates 2| and 24 has a recessed shoulder 30 adapted to be engaged 'by a the adjacent but non-contacting longitudinal sides ofthe-plate and'lts cooperating clamp bar i to permit transverse expansion and contraction of the plate.

Each copper plate (2| and '24) is'anchored at its bottom to its respectivev frame by round headed bolts 34 fitting in counterbored holes in the plate and registering drilled holes in the frame. Each plate is also bolted (36) at its upper end to its respective frame, but the registering holes (35) in the frame are enlarged to compensate for expansion and contraction as` illustrated in Fig. 6. Immediately adjacent the copper plate, the holes 35 at the top of the frame 20 are of considerably larger diameter than the diameter of the `bolts 36, for about one-half the thickness of the frame, and the larger hole then flares or bevels (31) into a smaller hole of slightly greater diameter than the bolt. It is desirable to provide a packing 38 to seal the joints betweeneach copper plate and its frame, and its cooperating clamp bar and the frame, the packing being heat resistant and of a character that will minimize friction and facilitate movement of the plate and clamp bar with respect to the frame.

Another disadvantage in cooled slab molds of the heretofore customary construction is the attachment of the mold side bars to the copper plate of the metal back by bolts extending through the plate and the frame of the mold back. Expansion and contraction of the side bars during the casting cycle fractures the bars and in practice they fail at relatively short intervals. In our improved mold, this dilculty is overcome by forming the side bars of two sections secured together and to the mold back in such a manner as to permit expansion and contraction of the section adjacent the mold cavity during the casting cycle.4 The section (43,) adjacent the mold cavity is the mold side bar proper and may be made of copper, chrome-nickel-iron, suitable mold iron alloy or other material capable of withstanding the action of the hot metal being cast.

` and the other section (39) is a backing bar and may be made of ordinary cast iron or machine i steel. The construction will be best understood y by reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings. The back- ,i ing bar 39 is securely held against the adjacent clamp bar 3| by round headed bolts 40 fitting in counterbored holes in the backing bar and extending through registering holes in the clamp bar and adjacent frame.l The backing bar has a longitudinal tongue 52 'fitting in a cooperating longitudinal groove in the adjacent clamp bar 3| to lock the backing bar against transverse 1 movement, and a longitudinal tongue 4I fitting.

in a longitudinal groove 42 in its cooperating and adjacent side bar 43 to lock the side bar against transverse movement. By this construction the side bar is slidably held against the adjacent copper plate in a manner that permits the bar to spout 50 near the top ofthe cavity permits the overflow of molten metal whenfthe 'cavity has been filled in casting. The bottom of the mold cavity is closed by a bottom bar 46, preferably of chrome-nickel-iron, secured by bolts x41 extending through the contacting lcopper plate and into the adjacent frame. Adjustable bolts 48 in a bracket 49 on the depending foot of the mold back A help support the bottom bar 46 and prevent its sagging. Holes 5| are drilled in the bottom bar. 46, directly in front of the bolts 34, so that .these bolts may be tightened, when necessary, without removing fthe bottom bar by inserting a screw-driver through the holes 5|.

'Ihe mold construction of the invention permits sufiicient expansion and contraction of the face plates and mold sides to avoid imposing onthose parts any undue or fracturing stresses during the casting cycle. The only longitudinalv attachment of the face plate to the frame is through the mating recessed shoulders of the plate and clamp bars. Similarly, the side bars arey held against the face plate solely by the tongue and groove connection with their cooperative backing bars. The backing bars contact the clamp bars, rather than the face plate as in the heretofore customary construction and hence the bolts 40 for securing the backing bars to the frame pass through the clamping bar and not through the face plate. f The face plates areanchored at their bottoms by the bolts 34 and the side bars are anchored at their bottoms by the bolts 44, but elsewhere throughout the entire areas of the plates and side bars expansion and contraction c an take place during the casting cycle.

In cooled slab molds, the mold faces must have good heat conductivity for eiiioientv transfer of heat from the cast metal to the adjacent cooling compartments. Rolled copper plate is now generally used for the mold faces, but it is to be understood that the mold faces may be made of any other metal or material of equivalently good heat conductivity and not deleteriously affected by the molten casting metal. Since the mold sides are not cooled., the side bars 43 may be made of copper, chrome-nickel-iron, suitable mold iron alloy, or the like. The clamp bars may be madev of machine steel,.chrome-nickel-iron, mold iron alloy,` or the like. While the backing bars 39 are preferably made of cast iron or machine steel, they may be made of any other suitable .material. f

We claim: `f l 1. In a metal slab mold having a recessed metal frame and a mold face plate covering the recess in the frame,A the longitudinal edges of said face plate being recessed, a clamp bar for each longitudinal side of said plate having a, re-

cessed edge conforming withy and cooperating-y frame and a mold face plate covering the recess in the frame, each longitudinal edge of said face plate having a recessed shoulder, a clamp bar for each longitudinal side of said plate having a reof the plate and holding the plate firmly against the fra-me, the surface of each clamp bar that faces away from the frame being substantially flush with the surface of the face plate that faces' away from the frame, the adjacent but non-contacting side edges of the plate and cooperating p clamp bar being spaced to permit expansion and contraction of the plate during the casting cycle,

means securing the clamp bars to the frame,

. and a mold side of substantially the same depth pansion and contraction of the plate during the 4 casting cycle, the surface of each clamp bar that faces away from the frame being substantially' flush with the surface of the face plate that faces away from the frame, means for securing the,

clamp bars to the frame, a mold side at each longitudinal side of the face plate overlying the adjacent clamp bar and the adjacent edge portion of the face plate, said mold side being of a depth substantially equal to the thickness ofslabs cast in said mold and comprising a side bar and a backing bar firmly holding the side bar against the face plate while permitting expansion and contraction of thel side 4bar during the casting cycle, and means for securing the backing bars to the frame.

4. In a metal slab mold having a recessed metal frame and a mold face plate covering the recess in the frame, each longitudinal edge of said face plate being recessed, a clamp bar for ea'ch longitudinal side of said plate having a recessed edge conforming with and cooperating Withthe mating recessed edge of the face plate to hold the plate rmly against the frame, means securing l the clamp bars to the frame, a mold side at each longitudinal vside of'the face plate, said moldside .comprising a side bar and a backing bar firmly holding the side bar against the face plate while permitting expansion and contraction of the side bar during' the casting cycle, and means for securing the backing bars to the frame.

5. In a metal slab mold having a recessed metal frame and a mold face plate covering the recess in the frame, each longitudinal edge of said face plate having a recessed shoulder, a vclamp bar for each longitudinal side of said plate having a recessed shoulder engaging the adjacent shoulder of the plate and holding the plate rmly against the frame, the adjacent but non-contacting side edges of the plate and cooperating clamp bar being spaced to permit expansion and contraction of the plate during the casting cycle, means securing, the clamp bars to the frame, a mold side at each longitudinal side of the face plate, said mold side comprising a side bar and a backing bar having a tongue and groove connection theref6' with for firmly holding the side bar against the v face plate While permitting expansion and contraction of the side bar during the casting cycle, and means securing the backing bars to the frame. l

6. In a metal slab mold having a recessed metal frame and a mold face plate covering the recess in the frame, clamp bars engaging side edge portions of the face plate and firmly clamping the face plate to the frame with the outer surface of the clamp bars substantially -flush with the outer surface of the face plate, a mold side at each longitudinal side of the face plate, said mold side comprising a side bar and a backing bar rmly holding the side bar against the face plate, a longitudinal tongue on said backing bar engaging in a corresponding recess formed in the clamp bar to lock the backing bar against transverse movement, and means for securing the backing bar to the frame.

7. In a slab mold havingl a recessed metal frame and a mold face plate attached thereto and covering the recess in the frame, a mold side at each longitudinal side of the face plate comprising a backing bar and a side bar, the backing bar having along one side thereof a projection tending laterally into said projection adjacent the base thereof, and the side bar correspondingly having along the side thereof adjacent the backing bar a projection which extends away from the interior of the mold and a longitudinal rib extending laterally from the side eglge of said projection at the outer end thereof so as to define a 4longitudinal groove extending laterally into said projection adjacent the base thereof, said backing bar and side bar Abeing interlocked by insertion of the laterally extending ribs on' the side and backing bars into the laterally extending grooves in the backing and side bars respectively, whereby'the side bar may be disengaged from the backing bar by lateral movement of the side bar with respect to the backing bar, and means for securing the backing bar to the frame.

ERNEST C. FALK. ROBERT S. STORRS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 2,316,180 Mueller Apr. 13, 1943 1,928,302 Shanley Sept. 26, 1933 2,120,700 Gay June 14, 1938 1,973,550 Todt Sept. 11, 1934 1,936,280 Williams Nov. 21, 1933 1,988,425 Summey Jan. 15, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 613,639 Germany May 23, 1935 

